The traditional ticket buy exists in the United States sports culture like no other. But that does not mean that its time as the primary stakeholder for access into a stadium isn’t ending. Currently, there are teams within the NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL which are attempting to move to a hybrid-fan membership model. This cannot be declared formally as a “fan membership” model of the European or International standard, because it is merely a branding tool to call “season tickets” a “fan membership.”
Yes, there are several off-season events that are scheduled for “fan membership owners.” But there remains one difference between those “membership owners” and the ones of the international model. It is still a season transaction for the United States sports culture. While there may be more events stocked into a 365 day per year mindset, U.S. professional sports teams fail to deliver on the loyalty aspect from their fan base. This also fails to maximize profit from the U.S. professional sports teams, who are still focused on mini-packs, group and season ticket buyers rather than a full investment in true fan sport memberships.
The traditional idea of a formal ticket should be abhorrent in new sports technology. The notion that a ticket can be transferred from one fan to another, specially by a secondary market buyer, should be something that the fans themselves would want to reject. Yet this is exactly what happens, because fans feel they have the option of attending a game or not, instead of believing that the club’s matches or events are the only place they want to be as much as possible.
True fan membership solves the problem of low attendance. It helps create a culture where the fan relates wholly as a working component of the franchise. This means that several events, throughout the calendar year, must occur as core group meeting opportunities. These gatherings are not merely for the fan who is the member, but also for the fan’s friends, family, and other associates. The focus is to build a sports sales culture which brings in more people. It makes the fan a brand advocate to others, selling the idea of inclusion to those marginal stakeholders as a primary stakeholder in the fan membership.
FC Barcelona’s fan membership model focuses on various aspects to bring its supporters closer to the fold, among them a common identity of history and language, social commitment and belonging through democratic fan ownership in the club. Essentially, through membership, the fans act as a protective governing body for the organization. They feel as if they are part of the club’s operation, so they fully invest time, energy and financial resources into the club’s continued success on the field and off.
The traditional ticket buy does not provide any of that experiential control over the product’s operation. The uniquely American experience of a primary operator-owner function where the fans merely purchase admission, ancillaries within the stadium, and deal with the outcome precludes that feeling of control. This also separates the fan base emotionally from the club, especially if the owner threatens to move the team unless arena or other taxpayer-funded demands are met.
Each fan membership model has both pluses and minuses to the organization. It is up to the sports executives who adopt these models to test out what works best for them. Some of these fan membership models may have similarities to what international organizations are doing. However, there is a lack of cohesiveness of revenue streams within fan membership models to be exploited for overall growth and profit.
Fan membership models also possess Category Structured games. While a member may be a fan, they may only access games within their category of membership. The best access to the best games still goes to those who provide the most in financial support to the club. This, in many ways, is an adoption of United States professional sports team’s season tickets and V.I.P. luxury seating access, along with dynamic ticket pricing, on a larger scale with the broad attempt to boost revenue out of those who truly want into the match.
The problem with category 1 games compared to any other games is that the access point is simply based on a variable game model. It suggests that only after becoming a member, there is a right to access specific games, but not specific areas within with the stadium. This is where the priority points model, as well as the category sections, can lead to having specific member sections beyond that of the general audience attending.
Look at Category 1 games from the outside. All they provide is a discount for being a member. They do not provide anything beyond that for the outside public to desire. Consider that for a moment, if the outside public does not desire membership simply beyond the “great match-up” of two teams during that season, there is no draw that will engage them. That is a wrong-headed approach which costs the club memberships and potentially disengages a fan base.
Location is of a higher priority than simply a category 1 contest, because location dominates the spectrum. No fan wants to be on the second tier of seating when she can easily afford something better, simply by becoming a member and building up enough points in order to join. Building up points may mean that some of the folks who may not have the financial capacity to give support at the highest levels still become some of the most important club fans.
Instead of giving directly to the club in a lump sum capacity, fans can buy items through ancillary or sponsorship purchases, using their loyalty card, and can have just as much impact as a wealthier fan. They can help foster growth for the club long-term. This mentality can help a club build further sponsorship growth and ancillary revenue, through indirect membership priority point enticement.